Missouri Revised Statutes

304.022. 1. Upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle
giving audible signal by siren or while having at least one lighted lamp
exhibiting red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a
distance of five hundred feet to the front of such vehicle or a flashing
blue light authorized by section 307.175, the driver of every other vehicle
shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position
parallel to, and as far as possible to the right of, the traveled portion
of the highway and thereupon stop and remain in such position until such
emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police or
traffic officer.

2. Upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle displaying lighted
red or red and blue lights, or a stationary vehicle owned by the state
highways and transportation commission and operated by an authorized
employee of the department of transportation displaying lighted amber or
amber and white lights, the driver of every motor vehicle shall:

(1) Proceed with caution and yield the right-of-way, if possible with
due regard to safety and traffic conditions, by making a lane change into a
lane not adjacent to that of the stationary vehicle, if on a roadway having
at least four lanes with not less than two lanes proceeding in the same
direction as the approaching vehicle; or

(2) Proceed with due caution and reduce the speed of the vehicle,
maintaining a safe speed for road conditions, if changing lanes would be
unsafe or impossible.

3. The motorman of every streetcar shall immediately stop such car
clear of any intersection and keep it in such position until the emergency
vehicle has passed, except as otherwise directed by a police or traffic
officer.

4. An "emergency vehicle" is a vehicle of any of the following types:

(1) A vehicle operated by the state highway patrol, the state water
patrol*, the Missouri capitol police, a conservation agent, or a state park
ranger, those vehicles operated by enforcement personnel of the state
highways and transportation commission, police or fire department, sheriff,
constable or deputy sheriff, federal law enforcement officer authorized to
carry firearms and to make arrests for violations of the laws of the United
States, traffic officer or coroner or by a privately owned emergency
vehicle company;

(2) A vehicle operated as an ambulance or operated commercially for
the purpose of transporting emergency medical supplies or organs;

(3) Any vehicle qualifying as an emergency vehicle pursuant to
section 307.175;

(4) Any wrecker, or tow truck or a vehicle owned and operated by a
public utility or public service corporation while performing emergency
service;

(5) Any vehicle transporting equipment designed to extricate human
beings from the wreckage of a motor vehicle;

(6) Any vehicle designated to perform emergency functions for a civil
defense or emergency management agency established pursuant to the
provisions of chapter 44;

(7) Any vehicle operated by an authorized employee of the department
of corrections who, as part of the employee's official duties, is
responding to a riot, disturbance, hostage incident, escape or other
critical situation where there is the threat of serious physical injury or
death, responding to mutual aid call from another criminal justice agency,
or in accompanying an ambulance which is transporting an offender to a
medical facility;

(8) Any vehicle designated to perform hazardous substance emergency
functions established pursuant to the provisions of sections 260.500 to
260.550; or

(9) Any vehicle owned by the state highways and transportation
commission and operated by an authorized employee of the department of
transportation that is marked as a department of transportation emergency
response or motorist assistance vehicle.

5. (1) The driver of any vehicle referred to in subsection 4 of this
section shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights or
blue lights on except when such vehicle is responding to an emergency call
or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected law violator, or when
responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire.

(2) The driver of an emergency vehicle may:

(a) Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of sections 304.014
to 304.025;

(b) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after
slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

(c) Exceed the prima facie speed limit so long as the driver does not
endanger life or property;

(3) The exemptions granted to an emergency vehicle pursuant to
subdivision (2) of this subsection shall apply only when the driver of any
such vehicle while in motion sounds audible signal by bell, siren, or
exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, and when the vehicle is
equipped with at least one lighted lamp displaying a red light or blue
light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five
hundred feet to the front of such vehicle.

6. No person shall purchase an emergency light as described in this
section without furnishing the seller of such light an affidavit stating
that the light will be used exclusively for emergency vehicle purposes.